AN~ This chapter is unfairly short, and I apologize to you all. But I had no idea where to go from here. We're getting close to the end, now.
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The Winner of Last QotD: my-dear-fangirl and her POWER OF LOVE adventures with Gerda and Kai.
New QotD: What should I do next? Give me minor plot bunnies. Just small ones, in character and plausible things to happen in this story. Otherwise it'll be maybe ten more chapters and then done.
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nightmare of chapter 2:I'm sorry you feel that way. I admit that the beginning is bad, but I'd like to think that I've improved a lot, which, if you make it that far, I hope you'll agree. By the way, coming out with 'I hate you' then saying 'I'm sorry if that's mean' is kind of... Yeah. OF COURSE it seems mean. And if you automatically hate someone because they're bad authors, then you're going to hate a lot of people. Just sayin'.
Lee Jordan: I continued. Fast enough?
PenguinLoverGurl: My mom read that. Never told me what my love language is, though I'm guessing it's the words one. Most things with me are words. Little sisters are hard.
lovespuck:Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked it. QotD: He's not exactly an Everafter. He's Disney's interpretation of a character, not MB's.
"You- you what?" Daphne asked, not bothering to hold back the tears. "Is this some kind of joke?"
Art shook his head and said, not looking in her eyes, "I'm sorry, Daphne, it's not."
Daphne stared at him, aghast, for several seconds, before running off into the woods, which separated for her willingly, snapping shut on Art, who called, "Daphne!' She ignored him, still running, until she reached the base of a particularly thick tree, and collapsed, sobbing.
She fumbled for her sword, and ran her thumb over the base of it, whispering, "Sabrina?"
Sabrina's face was immediately in Daphne's gem, and when she saw her sister, her brows drew together worriedly. "What's wrong, Daphne?"
"You were right." Daphne told Sabrina through her tears. "Art- it's awful, Sabrina!"
"Oh, Daphne." Sabrina whispered.
Daphne sobbed for a long time more, and Sabrina didn't leave. Finally, once she'd calmed down, Daphne asked, "What do I do, Sabrina? I have to go back there!"
Sabrina shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't been able to do it. I guess... I mean, I could come get you. If you need me. Or we could call mom..."
Daphne shook her head. "I have to do this." She said, sounding braver than she felt.
"All right, if you're sure..." Sabrina trailed off doubtfully.
"I am." Daphne said. She wasn't. She paused and said, "Listen, Sabrina. I owe you an apology. You were right. And I was mad at you for no reason."
Sabrina shrugged. "I don't really blame you, I guess. I figured you'd react like that, as soon as you said Art pinned it on me."
"Still." Daphne shrugged. "I should have listened. I mean, you were right." She paused. "I wish you'd told me, though."
"Would you have believed me?" Sabrina asked softly.
"I guess not." Daphne whispered.
"Yeah." Sabrina said. "Bye, Daphne."
"Bye." Daphne whispered, feeling guilty. She'd hurt her sister. Sabrina, who was only trying to help, who knew Daphne... who knew that Daphne would choose her friend over the girl who had protected her for two years, and still wanted to protect her, her closest family member, one of the most important people in her life. And she'd chosen Art over Sabrina, and look where that had gotten her! She'd need to work on that. Sabrina deserved better. Even if she was a jerk sometimes. Or most of the time.
Taking a deep breath, Daphne steeled herself to return to the clearing and Art. She moved much slower this time, half because it was dark now and half because she really didn't want to go. How could she look at him, knowing what he'd done? How had Sabrina been able to stand it? How could he live with himself? How could she spend time in the same place as he was?
When she reached the clearing, Art stood up and said, "Daphne!"
"I don't want to talk to you right now." Daphne said, walking over to the far side of the clearing. "I don't even want to look at you."
"All right." Art said glumly.
For a while after this, the two sat in silence, Daphne staring out into the woods and Art doing who-knows-what. A pile of berries (Daphne's favorite of the ones growing in the clearing) appeared next to her with no notice, but Daphne ignored them. If he thought food would make up for what he'd done, he was sorely mistaken. It might be the way to her heart, but she wasn't seven anymore! You couldn't win back her love by feeding her. Especially if it was just berries.
Still, she did have to eat...
She relented, popping the berries into her mouth one by one. This did not mean he was forgiven, though, and she glared at him to make sure he knew it. Even if the berries were tasty, and it was nice to have a pile to eat instead of going after the bushes in search of enough to fill her up.
She tried to fall asleep on the far side of the clearing, understanding now why he'd wanted to sleep far away from her. How had he even been able to look at her?
He hadn't, a voice in the back of her head reminded her. He'd been acting funny all week. Guilty.
He deserves to, she thought resolutely. After what he did...
What did he do, exactly, though? He hadn't told her.
It didn't matter. He'd told her it was his fault. That was the only important thing.
Still... Why was she really mad? Because Art said it was his fault, yes, but there was something more.
Being honest with herself, she knew it was because he'd let her down. The idea that Art... sweet, harmless giant Art, who always made her feel safe without stifling her, could do something this horrible... That hurt her.
It was one of her big personality flaws, and she knew it: she always saw her idols as more than human, perfect, and capable of doing no wrong. And when they showed her just how human they really were, she hated them for it. She'd done it with her parents, with Sabrina, even with Puck. And now with Art. She knew it was wrong, and that she couldn't expect more of them than she did of herself, but she did it anyway.
Even if they did deserve it, most of the time.
She finally drifted off to sleep, still a bit steaming, but better than before, now that she knew her own mind.
When she woke the next morning, Art was looking at her. She forced herself not to turn away, though she did glare at him. It was going to be very difficult if she ignored her only companionship for who knows how long.
"Can I at least tell you the whole story?" Art asked. "I don't expect you to forgive me, I mean, I can't even forgive myself, but I want you to know everything. You deserve that much."
"You bet I do." Daphne muttered. "All right, tell me." She told him, louder.
Art began, "In the battle... Tim was... Well, he was walking around, and that drove me nuts, 'cause he'd been calling me a liar for decades about that, and now he was just... So, anyway, what happened was, he was up in the sky, and he called for help, and I... I didn't go to him. I was fighting someone on my own, and I figured he'd get a little banged up, and it would serve him right. I never meant for it to... I didn't mean... By the time I thought better of it, it was too late. I was going to go help, but he'd fallen already. And it was because I let my stupid ego get in the way. I can't believe I was that selfish."
Daphne sat there for a second, stunned, while Art looked at the ground. After her brain had calmed down, she said, "I can't forgive you-" Art looked even further down, shrinking, and she continued, "Yet."
Art looked up, hope in his eyes.
Daphne continued again, saying, "And... even if I could, Art, I don't think it's me who needs to forgive you."
"Who does, then?" Art asked glumly.
"You." Daphne said simply.
"How?" Art asked. "How on earth can I- I'm a murderer!"
"You're not, Art." Daphne said. "You made a mistake. A really bad mistake that I'm still mad at you for because it killed one of my best friends, but a mistake. And besides, Mr. Clay did it."
"But that wasn't him!" Art protested. "That was the wolf!"
"He doesn't feel that way, and neither do a lot of people." Daphne shrugged. "But he managed to forgive himself. And he learned from it, after, learned to control himself."
"So... what should I do?" Art asked.
Daphne shrugged and said, "Maybe tell people. You can start with Granny, she'll listen. And don't start with 'I killed Tim!' for goodness sakes!"
"Sorry." Art said meekly.
"That, I forgive you for." Daphne told him.
"Things are never going to be the same between us, are they?" Art asked.
Daphne shook her head. "Probably not. But things were never going to be the same after Tim died, anyway."
"I really am sorry." Art said.
"I know." Daphne said.
And that was enough, for now.
It took two weeks to get everyone to safety, or almost everyone. Peter and Wendy were still missing, and so was Peaseblossom. Sabrina had been instructed firmly to stay in the house, and she and Daphne had been caught trying to get around this seven times. She and Puck had been caught doing the same thing twelve times. She was just glad they hadn't been caught doing anything else.
It was hard, because the house was extremely crowded. The Emerald Foot had gained two hundred of the five hundred or so neutral parties in the town, all of whom had been forced out of their homes by the giants, and decided they were sick of the Scarlet Hand's behavior, and ready to fight back, and the Fort and the Golden Egg were both full, so the refugees were moved into the Grimm's house and Puck's room until the giants were taken care of and rebuilding could begin.
Most of the town was demolished, though Mab's castle stood strong, and Daphne was fortifying trees all the time, so the majority of the forest was still upright.
The Giants had almost been rounded up, another three weeks later. Sabrina was glad, because she wanted to leave the yard.
Snow was visiting presently. She'd found a way through Charming's mirror that meant she could make it safely, and she was talking to the parents while Sabrina not-so-secretly listened in.
"I don't know what we're going to do about school." Snow said. "We don't have a building anymore. I suppose we could rebuild, but we're supposed to start in a week, and the giants won't even all be gone by then, unless there's a miracle."
"Have the classes in the Hall of Wonders." Granny said immediately. "Just until you get things set up."
Veronica nodded. "That way you can use the things there for training. We can help. I think it's time to stop with the normal schooling anyway."
"What about Smirt?" Jake asked. "Won't she insist?"
Snow laughed. "Have you seen that woman recently? She's had a complete breakdown. She's in Sprat's tent, babbling."
"Then we can help." Henry said, and Sabrina was proud of her dad and how far he'd come. "We know how to use most of the things that are left, and mom knows her way around, so we can instruct them on how to use a lot of the things."
Sabrina left. The rest wasn't going to be important, and they'd tell her anyway. Besides, she wanted to see how far her former torturer had fallen.
"Hey, Daphne." Sabrina said, poking her head into their bedroom. "Wanna go see Smirt?"
Daphne wrinkled her nose and asked, "Why on earth would I want to do that?"
Sabrina grinned conspiratorially and said, "I think you'll like what you'll see."
Daphne gave Sabrina a wary look but got off the bed and followed Sabrina into their parents' room and through the mirror. When they reached the Fort, Sabrina led the way to the hospital tent and walked in. She couldn't believe Bella hadn't told her about this!
Smirt was lying on the bed closest to the door, moaning. She'd gained weight, her eyes had thick dark circled under them, and her hair was, while still in its bun, coming loose messily.
Daphne snickered. Sabrina grinned.
"Oh, how the mighty have fallen." Sabrina whispered.
Daphne giggled louder, then sobered up. "I... I shouldn't. This is mean, making fun of her when she's like this."
Sabrina shrugged. "I kind of think she deserves it."
Daphne studied Smirt for a bit, then nodded. "Yeah." She agreed. "She does."
Then they both collapsed in laughter, reveling in Smirt's disgrace as she moaned, "fairies..."
Home again, Sabrina was waiting. She wasn't quite sure what she was waiting for, but she knew she was waiting. For something to happen. Anything. It was horrible, the waiting.
She was sick of it. She wanted to move around, do something, use her training. Find the Scarlet Hand.
She was going to do something about it. She was going to draw the Scarlet Hand out of hiding.
But... how?
And now she was back to waiting.
She waited for a very long time. By the time the Giants were finally gone, she'd started school, and she wasn't allowed to help with the army's endeavors to get the Scarlet Hand to 'do something, dangit!' as Mr. Seven had said, but she was allowed to help with the rebuilding effort, such as it was.
They'd started with the school. It was nice to not have to deal with the Scarlet Hand members in classes at the moment, though she missed the Beast. A little. Even if he was on the wrong side.
Charming had taken over her swordmanship lessons, and he was good, though his style was incredibly different from the Beast's, and Mr. Seven was teaching strategy. She had almost no classes with Puck or Bella, who were working with Boarman and Swineheart and Morgan, respectively, but she didn't see the point. She felt useless.
That is, until Charming pulled her and the core of the study group aside one day in October, secretly.
"What do you want?" Puck asked brashly.
Charming glared at him and said, "I need you to go on a mission."
Sabrina stared. "You're sending us out?" She asked. "What about all that stuff about nobody under eighteen doing anything?"
Charming shook his head. "That was the plan, but it's flawed. Most of this crowd are too stuck on your physical ages to recognize that the people standing in front of me have made more headway than any of us ever have. I think it's time to take advantage of one of our biggest assets: you. Even if some of you have less experience than could be hoped for, you have a way of looking at things that's different, that the Scarlet Hand can't stand against. We need you, if we're going to win this thing."
Daphne grinned at him and said, "I knew you weren't hopeless."
"How are you going to get us out, though?" Mustardseed asked thoughtfully. "We're bound to be noticed."
"The plan is to send several groups out." Charming said. "You'll leave after them."
"What are we going to be doing, exactly?" Bella asked.
"I leave that entirely up to you." Charming said. "You have whatever resources you can take without hampering the rest of us too badly, and you're free to plan whatever you want. But it had better be good." He glared at them sternly. "We're counting on you."